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SEPTEMBER 2,-11
Mr. Roosevelt's Tour
Theodoro Roosovelt left his Oyster Bay horns
3Luguat 23, for a Journey of 5,493 miles, cover
ing fourteen states. On th day preceding his
departure, Mr. Roosevolt received a letter writ
ten by President Taft to Lloyd C. Griscoml
president of the Now York republican county
committee and a warm friend of Mr. Roose
velt. In this letter the president declared that
ho had never taken any part in the scheme to
defeat Mr. Roosevelt for temporary chairman
of the county republican state convention. On
the contrary ho deplored the result of the com
mittee meeting and rebuked the party leaders
who had permitted the impression to go abroad
that the president of tho United States was be
hind any factional preferences. Ho indicated
that at every opportunity he had advised the
fullest conference with Mr. Roosevelt. After
reading the president's letter Mr. Roosovelt
said: "I am very glad to see Mr. Taft's letter
and am pleased with it." Mr. Roosevelt added
that he could not just then state definitely what
his whole plans would be.
A Beverly, Mass., dispatch says that President
Taft and Vice President Sherman havo had a
fall out on account of the Roosevelt episode.
Before leaving for his western trip, Mr. Roose
velt said that if his county desired him to go
as a delegate to the state convention, he would
accept and that if they wanted "fight" he would
give them plenty of it.
Mr. Roosevelt's itinerary was given out as
fallows:
August 23 Left Oyster Bay and arrived at
Utica, N. Y., where he delivered an address.
August 24 Starts west for Chicago.
August 25 Arrives in Chicago on Lake
-Shore train at 9 p. m.; leaves on Northwestern
road at 10:16 p. m.
August 26 Arrives in Omaha.
August 27 Reaches Cheyenne, Wyo., and de
livers set speech.
August 29 Delivers speech on conservation
at Denver; visits Pueblo.
August 31 Discusses Important national
problems at Osawatomie, Kan.
Septomber 1 Delivers address at Kansas City.
September 2 Delivers address at Omaha.
September 3 Speaks at Sioux Falls, S. D.
September 4 Speaks at FaTgo, N. D.
September 6 Speaks at St. Paul,
September 7 Speaks at Milwaukee.
September 8 (Morning), delivers address at
Freeport, 111.
September 8 (Evening), reception and din
ner in Chicago at Congress hotel under auspices
Of Hamilton club.
September 8 (Midnight), leaves for Cincin
nati, Ohio.
September 9 Arrives in Cincinnati.
September 10 Arrives in Pittsburg.
September 11 Ends western tour In New
York.
Mr. Roosevelt began his journey on a special
car and was everywhere greeted by large crowds.
His first stop was at Albany, N. Y., where he
was gfeeted during his five minutes stay by a
cheering crowd. Ten thousand persons greet
ed Mr. Roosevelt at Utica. Describing Mr.
Roosevelt's Utica speech, which was largely de
voted to national conservation, the Chicago
Record-Herald says: '
"And right off the reel the colonel dropped
his first bombshell. In the opening sentence
of his speech he placed himself directly in op
position to Vice President Sherman, speaking in
tho vice president's own county, by warmly In
dorsing State Senator Frederick Davenport, who
is a stanch progressive and whom Mr. Sherman
has announced that he would not support
Colonel Roosevelt spied Senator Davenport at
once, and he greeted him warmly. As soon as
he began his speech he turned to tho senator
and said: 'I am glad to see you on the plat
form, Senator Davenport. The only kind of
politics I care for is the kind of politics in which
decency is combined with efficiency. I hold
that the only way in which a politician can
really serve his party Is by helping that party
efficiently to serve the people. Because the sen
ator and the men who havo acted with him
have stood for this principle I am glad to be
on the platform with him.' There was more
cheering as the colonel uttered these words.
"When he could be heard again he added: 'You
will at least notice that my utterances are free
from ambiguity.' Then he jumped into his
speech."
' Referring to the contest for control of tho
state convention, the Chicago Record-Herald's
The Commoner.
correspondent says: "Most of tho country dele
gates to tho stato convention havo already boon
selected and for tho most part thoy aro admit
tedly anti-progressivo. Tho fight In tho cities
and towns will como at next month's primaries
and on tho result of theao will hingo control."
William Barnes, Jr., a mombor of tho "old
guard" and republican leader, gavo out a state
ment in which ho says that tho "old guard"
would wolcomo Roosovelt to a bitter fight in
tho stato convention. Mr. Barnes added:
"It Is, thoreforo, highly sensiblo on tho part
of Roosevelt, if he hopes to control tho policies
of the republican party in this state, that ho
should go to tho state convention as a delegato
and there thresh out what he thinks ought to bo
tho policy of tho party with those who havo
different opinions from him. It is assumod,
of course, that he will abide by tho decision of
tho convention as will thoso who will oppose
him there, if ho Is successful. I am not Informed
what attack upon tho representative form of
government ho will make, except that ho has
already committed himself to tho destruction of
tho convention system of making nominations.
Upon that question ho will bo opposed with all
tho intelligence and power of thoso who recog
nize in this populistic departure tho beginning
of tho fall of representative government. There
can bo no compromise on this subject. That
he desires to commit tho party to the extreme
folly of tho direct nominations fad Ib unfortu
nate. This great nation wants peaco and it is
looking to President Taft to secure it. Today
a pall hangs over tho business and industrial
world. Capital is timid, enterprise falters, in
dustry lags becauso of political agitation. From
ono end of the country to the other the political
agitator is still at work trying to arouse tho
people to a sense of alleged wrong that they
may make him important. What tho business
man and the worker for wages wants is peace;
an opportunity to pursue his calling and secure
happiness without tho constant interference of
politicians endeavoring to rouse him to a senso
of fancied misfortune."
After his Utica speech Mr. Roosevelt made
tho following statement: "They will have all
the fight they want. I am only going into tho
convention becauso that I feel that the interests
of the people of New York demand that tho
republican party bo given a chanco to stand
squarely and uncompromisingly for clean, de
cent, honest politics. I go to that convention
to mako tho speech exactly as It had been
planned originally, and while I hope there will
bo enough good sense to prevent anyone oppos
ing the principles for which I stand, yet if they
do oppose them, then it is their own affair, and
so far as I am concerend the Issue shall be abso
lutely clean cut.
When he was shown Mr. Roosevelt's state
ment, William Barnes said: "The opponents
of the direct nominations, after the contest they
have been through, will not violate the prin
ciples for which they have been fighting at
the dictation of any one man and it looks as if
thoy would havo to have a fight."
Tho republican county convention in New
Orleans county in selecting delegates for tho
state convention, instructed them to favor Mr.
Roosevelt for temporary chairman over VIco
President Sherman.
Mr. Roosevelt left Utica at one o'clock
Wednesday morning, arrived at Buffalo at 6:20
o'clock, taking breakfast with four hundred
men at the Ellicott club. Ho left Buffalo for
Chicago at 7:30 o'clock.
Mr. Roosevelt reached Chicago on tho after
noon of August 25. He spent one-half hour as
the guest of newspaper reporters at tho Chicago
Newspaper club, then he took an automobile
ride about the city. At one time Mr. Roosevelt
said: "I believe in party government, but tho
moment a question of honesty is involved, I
recognize no party distinction or If I mako any It
is a little more my business to put the grafter
and crook out of public life if he belongs to
my party than if to another."
At tho Newspaper club Colonel Roosevelt
commented on tho failuro of either lions or
rhinoceroses to prevent his safe return from
Africa, recalling a prediction offered by Prof.
Frederick Starr, of the University of Chicago,
that the hunting trip would be the death of
the former president. "I am especially glad to
show this professor how wrong he was," Colonel
Roosevelt said, "I wasn't the ono who was
killed. Not a lion did its duty. And then on
toward the end of tho trip I think Wall Street
pinned its h'opo on some rhinoceroses, but even
that hopo failed."
Timothy L. Woodruff, republican state chair
man from New York' and former Lieutenant
governor, issued a statement August 25, in which
ho dcnlo's tli at thero was any conspiracy to hu
mlllato Mr. Roosovelt. Ho puts himself diroctly
against tho direct primary plan and says ho Is
glad Mr. Roouovolt la going to tho convention,
for then thoy can fight It out.
In his tour through Iowa, Mr. Roosovolt was
accompanied by Senator Cummins. When ho
reached Lexington, Nob., ho was notified that
ho had been olectod a dclogato to tho republican
stato convention for New York by tho republi
cans of his county.
Mr. Roosovelt received a particularly hearty
rocoptlon at Choyenno. Indeed, all tho way
pooplo gathered by tho thousands to givo him
greeting. From Choyenno ho went to Denver
whore tho reception was merely a repetition of
what it had been all along tho line.
COUNTY OPTION WHAT IS IT?
So much that is false and misleading has
been said about county option that many aro
not sure as to what it meanu. To such, tho fol
lowing explanation, clipped from tho Croto
Vidotto-Horald of July 28, may be of Interest:
"Thero Is much misunderstanding regarding
this question. Wo will try to mako It plain
to our readers. County option does not mean
prohibition. It is simply local option, as wo
now have, only tho county is tho unit Instead
of the town. Nor does tho county option plank
in tho republican platform settle tho question
that only means that if a majority of tho inom
bers of tho legislature arorepublicans the party
pledges that thoy will pass the bill and a re
publican governor will sign the same. Evon
that does not give us county option. Tho final
decision, before a county will be under a county
option law will have to be decldod at a special
election by a majority vote of tho people of a
county. So that In the event the bill Is passed
and signed, a petition containing a certain num
ber of voters will have to be presented asking
for such an election.
"Then the question of county option and anti
county option will come directly before each
Individual voter for solution. In Saline county
it is not reasonable to suppose that county op
tion will carry. Jf It does it will havo to bo
done by a majority voto and this being a gov
ernment where majorities rule, the minority
will have to gracefully submit to tho will of
the majority. In any event tho question can
not be brought up for at loast ono year. Thero
Is no reason for any to tear their shirts or
threaten to desert their party. Tho Videtto
Herald will oppose county option where directly
confronted with that proposition, but It will give
loyal support to the nominees of tho republican
party whether they are for or against county
option. This is a question on which men can
honestly differ without In tho least estranging
themselves from the political party of their
choice." Crete Vtdette-Herald.
As appears from the above a county option
law Is not county prohibition as is so often
falsely stated, but it is simply local option with
the county as the unit, similar to the local
option we now have with the city or town as
the unit.
Under our present law from 50 to 75 per cent
of tho voters are disfranchised upon this issue.
Under county option all would havo a voice in
tho matter. Is not this fair? . Is it not repub
licanism? Is it not democracy? Can you con
sistently claim to stand for government by tho
people and refuse to submit to the peoplo a
matter which so vitally affects them? A voto
for legislative candidates pledged to work and
voto for a county option law Is a vote for gov
ernment by the people. Are you for government
by tho people or by tho special Interests?
Crete (Neb.) Democrat.
THE SITUATION
They say that Bryan's "down and out"
That Teddy's "on tho bum"
But Bryan keeps on "gettln' in"
And Teddy's "goln' some."
Poor Uncle Joe will rant and roar
And at insurgents scoff,
While Taft has got so anxious that
His smilo may soon come off.
August 20, 1910. SILE SMYTHE.
All new and renewal subscribers to The Com
moner during the month of September will re
ceive a year's subscription to tho national farm
paper, the American Homestead, without addi
tional charge. Give yonr friends an opportunity
to join you in accepting this, offer.
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